The pilot, a U.S. Marine, ejected safely, Harrison said, and was evaluated by medical personnel. There were no casualties on the ground, according to Harrison and the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office. The plane was not carrying any ordnance, Harrison said.

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A man wearing what appears to be a flight suit with an squadron patch similar to that of the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort unit that flies the F-35B fighter jet leaves Friday afternoon in a Marine Corps Air Station Fire and Rescue ambulance. Law enforcement at the scene confirmed that the pilot of the crashed jet was still on the scene when media arrived on Clarendon Road in the Grays Hill area.

Drew Martin dmartin@islandpacket.com

The pilot — whom the Corps, citing privacy policies, did not name — is in stable condition at Beaufort Memorial Hospital, according to an email from II Marine Expeditionary Force spokesman Maj. Jordan Cochran.

The incident — which occurred on Little Barnwell Island, about five miles from the air station — marks the first crash and ejection by an F-35, Harrison said. An F-35B is valued at $115.5 million, a figure that includes the airframe, engine and associated contractor costs, according to Harrison.

The crash comes just a day after the first combat mission by Marine Corps F-35s, one completed in the skies of Afghanistan, Harrison said.

Kensley Crosby, of Beaufort, witnessed the aftermath of the crash from across the river.

Kensley Crosby

And while this is the first time one of the jets has crashed, it’s not the first time one of the stealth aircraft, known as the joint strike fighter, has suffered a critical incident.

Kensley Crosby, of Beaufort, lives across the Whale Branch River from Little Barnwell Island and witnessed the aftermath of the incident.

“I was inside and had on the morning news when I heard an explosion,” Crosby said. “At first I didn’t think anything of it, but then I looked up and saw the smoke.”

Crosby said she saw a large black billow coming from the scene and heard an additional three to four loud booms within 30 minutes of the first explosion.

“It was crazy — I literally looked out and there were boats and helicopters everywhere,” she said. “This is such a small community, most people don’t even know we’re out here, so that was a lot to have happening.”

At 1 p.m., about an hour after the crash, Crosby said some smoke was still emitting from the crash site.

Richard Padgett, who lives on Joe Allen Drive, said smoke and some flames could be seen on what appeared to be Little Barnwell Island west of the air station and across from a boat landing. Padgett said there was a lot of boat activity in the area and a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter overhead.

The scene of the crash was secured as of 2 p.m, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Residents and guests were asked to avoid Little Barnwell Island and the Grays Hill Boat Landing while emergency services personnel assess the area for safety.

Emergency crews were still on scene near the crash about five miles from the Beaufort air station around 2 p.m. Friday, hours after the crash.

Friday’s crash was the second Class-A mishap by an F-35, Harrison said.

In June, Popular Mechanics reported that a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found the F-35 had “nearly a thousand ‘deficiencies’” as it nears time for a decision on full production of the fighter.

“In 2019, (the Department of Defense) will decide whether to enter full-rate production for the F-35aircraft, the most expensive and ambitious weapon acquisition program in U.S. military history,” the GAO report, dated June 13, says.

“DOD has already requested the $9.8 billion it will need for 2019, and it will continue to request more over the next two decades—about $10.4 billion annually,” the GAO report continued. “However, the F-35 is just one program in DOD’s vast acquisition portfolio, raising questions about its long-term affordability.”

Over a 60-year “life-cycle” period, it’s estimated that it will take more than 1 trillion dollars to sustain the F-35 program, according to the report.

A military plane crashed five miles outside Marine Corps Air Station in Beaufort just before noon today, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.

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